Two of 37 hotel properties audited in the Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (CHENACT) study are already reaping the benefits in terms of cost savings, with one hotel seeing savings of 62.03 percent after implementing energy efficient upgrades.
Local Project Manager for CHENACT LaToya Johnson released the findings of the audits for Small Hope Bay Lodge and Paradise Island Beach Club (PIBC). The audits and subsequent upgrades to systems that improve energy efficiency, have shown that the three-year study has found legs as an important tool for Caribbean hotels and resorts to reduce their carbon footprints and introduce savings through alternative energy solutions.
According to Small Hope Bay's findings, the hotel could recognize some $25,400 in energy cost savings over a 12-month period with the implementation of a solar water heating system for its main lodge, a solar water heating system for its hot tub and the implementation of "solar-cool" technology for its walk-in freezer.
Following CHENACT's audit of PIBC and the hotel's subsequent implementation of energy saving devices and corrections of maintenance issues that resulted in losses, savings of almost a million dollars were recognized by the Paradise Island hotel, with a $250,000 investment made in energy saving equipment.
"Two thousand and seventeen will be the first year where we will realize the true savings over where we were in 2014," PIBC said in its savings analysis. "I encourage all of you to happily reach out and embrace the helping hand offered by CHENACT. It has been a very rewarding experience."
PIBC switched out 50 percent of its old air conditioning units and installed energy efficient ones, implemented scheduled checks for water leaks, installed tankless on-demand water heaters and began replacing its CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) lighting with LED (light-emitting diode) lights, which led to its huge reductions in overhead costs.
The CHENACT study in The Bahamas ran from 2013 to 2016 and audited 37 properties in Abaco, Andros, Cat Island, Grand Bahama, Harbour Island, Long Island and Nassau/Paradise Island.
The program was financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, Dutch Fund, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the government of The Bahamas, and the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA).
The objective of CHENACT is to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized hotels in the Caribbean region through improved use of energy, with emphasis on renewable energy and micro-generation.
The CHENACT pilot project was in Barbados, and phase two was extended to The Bahamas and Jamaica, with additional support being extended to other members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
The study looked at 17 small hotels in The Bahamas, one medium-sized hotel, one large hotel and two extra-large hotels.
Of the audit numbers mined from hotels in The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, this country had the highest average energy cost per room, per year - upward of $5,000.

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